A concurrent resolution to authorize the State Board of Education and the Michigan
Department of Education to move forward and expend resources to implement the
use of the Common Core State Standards so long as the conditions of this
concurrent resolution are met.

Whereas, Noting
that the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution states, "The
powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited
by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the
people," and recognizing that there is no constitutional provision
delegating the power to educate children to the federal government, the
Michigan Legislature declares that the federal government has no constitutional
authority to dictate how children in the state of Michigan are to be educated;
and

Whereas, Article VI,
Section 231, of the FY 2013-14 Department of Education budget (2013 PA 59)
states, "Funds appropriated in part 1 shall not be used to fund
implementation of common core state standards or smarter balanced assessments
unless an affirmative action of the legislature authorizing implementation of
said standards or assessments is provided."; and

Whereas, Article IX,
Section 17, of the Michigan Constitution states, "No money shall be paid
out of the state treasury except in pursuance of appropriations made by
law."; and

Whereas, Article VIII,
Section 1, of the Michigan Constitution states, "Religion, morality and
knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind,
schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged."; and

Whereas, Article VIII,
Section 3, of the Michigan Constitution states, "Leadership and general
supervision over all public education, including adult education and
instructional programs in state institutions, except as to institutions of
higher education granting baccalaureate degrees, is vested in a state board of
education. It shall serve as the general planning and coordinating body for all
public education, including higher education, and shall advise the legislature
as to the financial requirements in connection therewith."; and

Whereas, The Common Core
State Standards were adopted by the State Board of Education in June 2010. The
standards were developed by the National Governors Association and the Council
of Chief State School Officers and are not a mandate by the federal government;
and

Whereas, Adopting high
educational expectations and ensuring that all of our students are receiving a
high-quality education to develop independent thought and compete globally
through a transparent and accountable system is paramount. With the previously-mentioned
facts in mind, the House Subcommittee on Common Core State Standards has had
dozens of hours of study and held extensive committee hearings with testimony
from a diverse set of experts, educators, and the public to examine the Common
Core State Standards adopted by the State Board of Education; and

Whereas, The extensive
hearings led to this action by the Legislaturewith a belief that
education "standards" define minimum expectations of what students
should know at the conclusion of a course of study but not the methods,
curriculum, or the entirety of what students are taught; and

Whereas, The Michigan
Legislature recognizes that a high-quality education to develop independent
thought is an important part of being a successful person; and

Whereas, Michigan students
compete nationally and internationally for work opportunities and better
careers, and, as such, a high-quality education is an important base for their
success in this global competition; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of
Representatives (the Senate concurring), That we authorize, pursuant to 2013 PA
59, the State Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education to
continue to implement the use of aspects of the Common Core State Standards, as
they are known today, so long as the conditions of this concurrentresolution
are met; and be it further

Resolved, That any future
education standards or student assessment tools approved by the State Board of
Education shall be presented in a report or in testimony to the standing
education committees of both chambers of the legislaturebefore final
board approval; and be it further

Resolved, That
implementation of the Common Core State Standards by the State Board of
Education and the Michigan Department of Education is contingent on the ability
of Michigan to add different college- and career-ready standards that are in
the best interest of the students of Michigan, with no ramifications from the
federal government; and be it further

Resolved, That the State
Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education may implement
Common Core State Standards so long as such standards do not dictate curriculum
or prescribe a particular method of instruction. Parents who choose to educate
their children at home, pursuant to Section 1561 of the Revised School Code,
1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1561, retain their independence and control over
their children's education and are not subject to Common Core State Standards
or the Smarter Balanced Assessment; and be it further

Resolved, That the State
Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education may implement
Common Core State Standards so long as control over the creation and
implementation of curriculum, textbooks, educational materials, and
instructional methods shall remain under the control of the local school
districts and not the federal government; and be it further

Resolved, That the State
Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education may implement
Common Core State Standards so long as the authority and flexibility, as
permitted under Section 1278 of the Revised School Code, 1976 PA 451, MCL
380.1278, to develop or adopt a different set of standards remains with locally
elected school boards should they determine other college- and career-ready
standards are appropriate for their students, including teaching high school
Euclidean geometry and classic English literature; and be it further

Resolved, That the State
Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education may implement
Common Core State Standards so long as, consistent with Section 1278 of the
Revised School Code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1278, the standards shall not include
attitudes, beliefs, or value systems that are not essential in the legal,
economic, and social structure of our society, and to the personal and social
responsibility of its citizens, as determined by locally elected school boards;
and be it further

Resolved, That the State
Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education may implement
Common Core State Standards so long as Michigan's students and parents are assured
of the safety and security of their personally identifiable student information
by knowing that no non-education-related information on students or their
families, including, but not limited to, religion, political affiliations, or
biometric data, will be collected, tracked, housed, reported, sold, or shared
with the federal government or outside entities; and be it further

Resolved, That the State
Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education shall issue a full
report, which is to be submitted to both chambers of the Legislature by
December 1, 2013. In preparation for receipt of this report, the State Board of
Education may take steps to remove conflicts of interest and provide the State
Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education the necessary
latitude and objectivity to develop their recommendations for Michigan's
student assessment tools. The Legislature is not committed to any specific
assessment tool, but believes that any state assessment should be a computer-adaptive
test that provides real-time results, is given twice each school year, and
assists in the evaluation of individual teachers. The Department of Education
shall put out a competitive bid through a request for proposal (RFP) for an
assessment that aligns with Michigan's college- and career-ready standards. Any
assessment must be capable of being implemented for grades 3 through 11 by
September 1, 2014. The Legislature intends to evaluate all assessment options
in the FY 2014-15 school aid budget based on this RFP. Until that time, the
Michigan Department of Education can continue to participate in the development
of assessment options and recommendations only; and be it further

Resolved, That the state of
Michigan, pursuant to Section 1279c of the Revised School Code, 1976 PA 451,
MCL 380.1279c, shall test only for proficiency in basic and advanced academic
skills and subject matter, and testing shall not be used to measure pupils'
values or attitudes. Local school districts shall have the authority to align
their locally-developed or commercially-available assessment tests to the set
of standards that they use in their daily curriculum to better serve the
students in their districts; and be it further

Resolved, That the Michigan
Department of Education will provide an official way for parents, teachers,
administrators, and the public to provide feedback on the implementation of the
Common Core State Standards and appropriate assessment aligned with those
standards. This can be an obvious placement on the department website or a
person specifically designated and responsible for following up on comments
received. These comments will be considered as discussion continues regarding
the standards and assessment; and be it further

Resolved,
That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the State Board of Education
and the Michigan Department of Education.